Title

Authors

Campus Units

Document Type

Article

Publication Version

Accepted Manuscript

Publication Date

4-2015

Journal or Book Title

Communication Quarterly

Volume

63

Issue

2

First Page

221

Last Page

238

DOI

10.1080/01463373.2015.1012216

Abstract

This study introduces a sexual script in heterosexual marriage, based on interviews with 12 married women and 13 married men. The qualitative data analysis revealed a two-phase sexual script, beginning with priming messages and culminating in synchronizing messages. Synchronizing messages took one of three forms—in-synch, token acceptance, or out-of-synch. In-synch messages showed alignment between an initiation message and an acceptance message such that a sexual episode occurred. Token acceptance messages, made by women, conveyed compliance with a sexual episode despite low desire. Out-of-synch messages rejected an initiation message.